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    vendredi 23 janvier 2015

    WRC, Monte-Carlo, étape 2 : Ogier orphelin de Loeb / Ogier, solitary leader



    La dernière spéciale de cette journée a bouleversé le classement général. Sébastien Loeb et Kris Meeke (Citroën) ont été retardés. Sébastien Ogier (VW/Michelin) est leader du Rallye Monte-Carlo avec une avance de 1min45s4 sur son équipier Jari-Matti Latvala. Andreas Mikkelsen complète un podium provisoire 100 % Volkswagen.
    Entre Sébastien Loeb, le nonuple champion du monde de retour en WRC, et Sébastien Ogier, le double champion du monde et vainqueur sortant du Monte-Carlo, le duel était d’une rare intensité. Ogier avait pris l’avantage et les deux hommes étaient séparés par 8 secondes au départ de la dernière spéciale du jour (25,4 km).

    Mais cette spéciale arrive à 4 km de la maison familiale des Ogier, et il était écrit que Loeb ne serait pas roi dans les Hautes-Alpes, chez son rival. Peu après son équipier Kris Meeke, Sébastien Loeb a lui aussi tapé une corde et cassé une biellette de direction. Le Français a perdu plus de 6 minutes et le Britannique n’a pu rallier le parc de Gap.

    Du coup, Sébastien Ogier compte une avance très confortable sur ses équipiers Jari-Matti Latvala (+1min45s4) et Andreas Mikkelsen (+2min34s8). « Ce fut une journée incroyable. La bagarre était vraiment passionnante avec Seb, mais il fallait surtout rester calme. Quand j’ai entendu qu’il avait eu un impact, j’ai pu me détendre un peu. Mais la route est encore longue. Passer dans le village où j’ai habité pendant 20 ans, et en tête du rallye, c’était inoubliable, un des plus beaux moments de ma carrière », a déclaré Sébastien Ogier.
    Andreas Mikkelsen n’est pas encore assuré d’une place sur le podium car l’Estonien Ott Tanak (Ford) n’est qu’à 9s6. Seul rescapé du clan Citroën, Mads Ostberg (5e) sera en bagarre avec le Gallois Elfyn Evans (6e, Ford, +12s3) sur les spéciales de la 3e étape, demain, autour de Gap. Cette journée inclura deux tours dans Prunières-Embrun, un passage dans la plus longue spéciale du rallye (51,70 km) et dans la mythique Sisteron-Thoard (36,85 km) avant de rentrer à Monaco.

    Les deux pilotes Hyundai Thierry Neuville (7e) et Dani Sordo (8e) devancent Martin Prokop (Ford) et Sébastien Loeb. Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3 R5/Michelin) est leader de la catégorie WRC-2 malgré un tête-à-queue dans l’ES1 (échappement écrasé). Son rival Martin Koci (Ford Fiesta R5) est 2e à seulement 6s5, une belle performance pour son premier Rallye Monte-Carlo. Quentin Giordano (Citroën) a heurté un mur dans un village et cassé un amortisseur.
    Quentin Gilbert (Citroën/Michelin) est solide leader en Junior devant Veiby et Folb. François Delecour est en tête de la catégorie R-GT sur sa Porsche/Michelin, devant Romain Dumas.
    The 2015 Rallye Monte-Carlo leaderboard underwent a radical change on Thursday’s final stage when Sébastien Loeb and Kris Meeke (Citroën) both dropped time. Sébastien Ogier (VW/Michelin) is now clear at the top, 1m45.4s ahead of his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, while Andreas Mikkelsen (3rd) makes it an all-Volkswagen provisional podium.

    Until late this afternoon, the ding-dong duel between nine-time world champ Sébastien Loeb and the reigning champion Sébastien Ogier lived up every bit to its promise. Indeed, after this evening’s penultimate test, Ogier had a narrow edge, with an eight-second advantage…
    The end of today’s final stage was located just four kilometres from the Ogier family’s home, so that makes it even more ironic that it was here that Citroën’s Kris Meeke and, more significantly, his team-mate Sébastien Loeb both hit trouble. The Frenchman clouted something on the inside of a corner and broke a steering arm, throwing away six minutes in the process, but Meeke was unable to continue any further.
    Suddenly, after a day of intense competition, Ogier found himself with an assertive lead over fellow VW drivers Jari-Matti Latvala (+1m45.4s) and Andreas Mikkelsen (+2m34.8s). “It’s been an incredible day,” declared Ogier at this evening’s end-of-leg press conference. “The fight with Seb was exciting and it was important to stay calm. When I heard about his impact, I felt I could relax a bit, but not too much because there’s still a long way to go. It was an amazing sensation driving through the village where I lived for 20 years. I could really feel everyone willing me on. It was one of the most memorable moments of my career.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen’s footing on the podium doesn’t look totally safe, however, since Estonian Ott Tanak (Ford) is only 9.6 seconds behind. Meanwhile, the only Citroën survivor Mads Ostberg (5th) is locked in a fight with Welshman Elfyn Evans (6th, Ford, +12.3s) which should keep spectators entertained during the final day of action in this part of the French Alps.
    The third day’s menu features two attempts at ‘Prunières-Embrun’, a single visit to the rally’s longest test (51.70km) and, finally, the legendary ‘Sisteron-Thoard’ test (36.85km) before the long drive to Monaco.

    Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville (7th) and Dani Sordo (8th) figure ahead of Martin Prokop (Ford) and Sébastien Loeb in tonight’s order.
    Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3 R5/Michelin) is on top in WRC-2 despite a spin on SS1 which damaged his exhaust, but rival Martin Koci (Ford Fiesta R5) is only 6.5s behind in second place, a fine performance from the Monte Carlo rookie. Quentin Giordano (Citroën) lost time when he hit a wall and damaged a damper.
    Quentin Gilbert (Citroën/Michelin) has a comfortable lead in the Junior standings, ahead of Veiby and Folb, while François Delecour is the best-placed R-GT runner in his Porsche/Michelin, ahead of Romain Dumas.

    History of the GS - Part Five

    After Helge Pedersen conquered Africa, it was Gaston Rahire's turn.

    The successes of the G/S in the world's toughest rally paved the way for the Boxer's career as a dependable means of transport for globetrotters. BMW naturally followed their victory with a Paris-Dakar special edition model in 1984, which further enhanced the bike's growing reputation as the motorcycle of choice for long distance travel.

    By 1987, more than 24,000 GS motorcycles were produced and the next generation of the BMW GS was on its way.

    Now written without a forward slash, the new GS featured a paralever rear swingarm in place of the mono lever, a new front suspension, cross spoke wheels and frame improvements. A 980 cc engine represented the top of the line in the R100 GS.

    The 1988 Paris-Dakar kit was designed for the long distance traveler and featured better weather protection and adaptable luggage solutions. For the first time, a red tubular frame ran outside of the fairing and an aluminum engine guard plate was bolted under the oil pan. It also featured cylinder guards, hand protectors and a mudguard.

    It became Germanys best selling motorcycle in 1988.

    By now, the GS was a mature world traveling bike, and it had evolved considerably, but the evolution wasn't about to stop.



    THE PLAYER: DP CUSTOMS’ RACY 1200 SPORTSTER


    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    Harley-Davidson customs have changed for good. The raked-out, built-for-TV monstrosities are a dying breed, and the baton has passed to a new wave of crisp, sporty builds that we’d happily ride all day.
    Workshops like DP Custom Cycles are leading the charge. Brothers Jarrod and Justin Del Prado build honest, functional rides—and often finish them off with eye-catching motorsport liveries.
    The Player: DP Customs's radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    ‘The Player’ is based on a 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200, and it’s a commission from a previous customer: “We’d already built him a hardtail bike called Hollywood,” explains Jarrod. “This time, he wanted a full suspension bike to squirt around on his local city streets.”
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    DP Customs have dressed their Sportsters in everything from Gulf Oil to BAR colors before. This time, they opted for the iconic John Player Special scheme—a hat-tip to Mario Andretti and his 1978 F1 Championship-winning Lotus-Ford.
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    “Mario Andretti is our favorite race car driver of all time,” says Jarrod. “In 1993, we saw him score his last IndyCar win, right here at Phoenix International Raceway. So when our customer mentioned that he loved the classic JPS colors, we decided to go with that.”
    “Our goal was to build a bike that’s fun to ride on a daily basis, and looks minimal and sharp.”
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    The racing theme extends beyond the paint, with DP Customs editing the frame and fabricating new bodywork for a lightweight and angular look.
    The fuel tank and tail section are hand-made from steel, along with the oil tank—which masquerades as a spoiler. Note how it flows perfectly into the exhaust, which is DP Customs’ own proprietary Box Pipe.
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    Cosmetic changes alone weren’t going to cut it. On-road behavior has been enhanced with a set of fully adjustable Progressive Suspension 970 shocks; the forks have been upgraded with Progressive Suspension springs and 39mm preload adjusters from Speed Merchant.
    The engine was given a boost with a Dynatek single fire ignition coil, and a rebuilt and re-jetted CV carb. The stock belt drive has been ditched for a chain setup, with a whopping 51-tooth PBR rear sprocket, “for added spunk out of the hole.”
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    DP Customs designed the 19” front and 18” rear wheels themselves, and had them CNC milled. They’re wrapped in Pirelli Sport Demons, with braking duties handled by Brembo calipers and ISR master cylinders. A small Ballistic battery been installed too, stashed away in the new tail section.
    Other top-shelf parts include ISR adjustable hand controls, Chainsikle mid-set foot controls, plus bars, risers and grips from Biltwell. The only dial is a simple rev counter from Stack. The superb paintwork is by Walkers Way.
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    With angular bodywork and vastly improved dynamics, we reckon this 1200 Sportster is a worthy machine to carry the famous Formula 1 colors.
    We’re also betting that Mr Andretti—who started riding motorcycles as a child—would approve.
    The Player: DP Customs' radical 1200 Sportster looks magnificent in the classic JPS racing livery.
    via BIKEexif

    Breva’s Speedmeter has a pop-up party trick


    Dedicated followers of fashion might recognise the name of Vincent Dupontreue as that of the precocious clothes designer who made his mark selling crystal-studded jeans to Chinese fashionistas for a cool €50,000 a pair...
    A few years ago, however, Dupontreue abandoned the rag trade in order to pursue a long-standing dream to create a watch company, and Breva - which launched its first watch in 2013 - is the result.
    The brand’s point of difference is that all its products have a connection to the environment - which is how the Breva Genie 01 came to be the first mechanical watch to contain a fully working aneroid barometer, and the 02 the first to feature an altimeter.

    Now for the final trick

    But anyone with a love for things that move fast will probably find the latest Breva watch the most intriguing of all, because it contains a tiny, built-in speedometer. The Genie 03 ‘Speedmeter’, which will be launched in Geneva this weekend, is fitted with a pop-up speed-measuring device that incorporates a tiny set of Robinson Cups, as traditionally used on anemometers for measuring wind speed.
    The 27-part mechanism fits flush with the dial when not in use, but activating the push piece at the two o’clock position causes it to extend six millimetres above the dial, exposing it to the air and enabling the Robinson Cups to spin and drive a needle which indicates speed in kilometres or miles per hour up to a maximum of 200kmh/125 mph.

    Arm out of the window

    The watch itself comprises a 45mm, titanium case containing a conventional three-hand movement with power-reserve indicator and an offset dial made from a slice of smoked, sapphire crystal.
    The Breva Genie 03 is unlikely ever to take over from the traditional speedometers by firms such as Smiths or Jaeger, which many of us have in our classics - but, if you have 50,000 euros spare, it will certainly add an intriguing new element to every journey.
    Photos: Breva Watches
    You can find numerous classic watches for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

    These five design dynasties wrote automotive history

    Battista and his son Sergio Farina in 1956. © Getty Images
    Do you ever ask yourself what the modern car industry would look like if it weren't for certain cars? Alas, it's easy to forget that cars are born of designers and, more often than not, their lineage – just think where we'd be without these five design dynasties...

    The Bugattis

    Ettore Bugatti’s creations were destined to be beautiful, as he was born into a family of artists. Not only were his creations great to look at, though, they were innovative and extremely successful, racking up some 410 victories before 1925 and establishing him as one of the forefathers of modern automobile engineering. Ettore’s son Jean clearly inherited the creative gene, his first design being the Type 57 – today considered one of the most collectable in the world. We wonder what the father and son duo would make of the company today…

    The Bertones

    Utter the words MiuraCountach or Stratos, and you’re sure to raise the eager ear of any enthusiast. But ‘Nuccio’ Bertone’s distinctive 70s poster-cars certainly weren’t the first to bear the family name, nor the last. The Turinese coachbuilder can trace its history right back to 1912, when Giovanni Bertone was reaping praise for his beautifully crafted horse-drawn carriages. Sadly, the family company was declared bankrupt and ceased trading in early 2014, though its legacy will most certainly live on.  

    The Pininfarinas


    Most famous for its enduring and loyal partnership with Ferrari, the Pininfarina family is, naturally, held in the heart of every Italian enthusiast. The patriarch Battista’s work in the 30s and 40s laid the foundations, before son Sergio joined the ranks, quickly cementing the family name in the annals with several seminal Ferrari designs. 
    Thanks to the enterprising work of Sergio’s son Andrea – who was tragically killed in 2008, aged just 51 – today the company is flourishing in the safe hands of Paolo, another of Sergio’s children. Suffice to say, without the Pininfarinas, the Italian car industry would be a very different place. 

    The Porsches

    Though the family itself was fraught with feuds, controversy and tension, products bearing thePorsche name ­– be it cars, watches or, dare we say it, domestic appliances ­– have always, and most probably always will, represent the pinnacle of German engineering. 
    Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the ‘father of the 911’, sadly died in 2012, but Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of visionary founder Ferdinand Porsche, continues the family legacy, retaining a small but significant stake in the company.

    The Zagatos

    Utilising skills learnt in the aviation industry, Ugo Zagato was quick to capitalise on the burgeoning demand for personal transport following World War I. Always innovative, Zagato’s radical approach to automotive design has filtered down through two generations, resulting in not only some of the most famous cars ever built, but unique design quirks that have come to symbolise the Milanese design house – think ‘double bubble’ and you’re halfway there. The brothers Elio and Gianni have even been widely hailed as the fathers of the Gran Turismo. Today, Ugo’s grandson Andrea fronts the company with his wife Marella, herself the granddaughter of Renzo Rivolta – some things really do run in the family…
    via http://www.classicdriver.com

    STEEL BENT DUBAI BUILD


    SBC Dubai 1 THUMB
    “We build rides.” – That was the opening quote of our inaugural Steel Bent Customs story back in June 2012. It turns out that truer words have never been uttered. Michael Mundy and his Steel Bent Customs team have built rides at a dizzying rate, their Bikeshed page is a shrine to their trademark super-clean brat inline-fours, but recently we have seen those machines joined by a more diverse style of steed as their style expands.
    SBC Dubai 2
    Hinckley Bonnevilles and Adventures have added some British iron to the CB party and SBC’s last two featured builds have been a stunning Honda CB125tt and a gnarly rigid knobbly CB450. But, when you think of a Steel Bent bike, you cannot help but summon an image of a CB750 done just right. That was certainly the case for the brains behind the Dubai Biker Cafe and when it came to adding one of Tampa Florida’s finest to their extensive fantasy garage, there was only one bike they could commission.
    SBC Dubai 3
    The brief was for a DOHC Honda CB750 with an inverted front end & spoked wheels, the rest of the details were left in the trusted hands of Mundy. With a suitable donor selected Michael contacted Devin Henriques at Cognito Moto to set up the front forks and spoked wheels. The execution was never in question, Cognito Moto have some serious talent in this department, their CB550 that featured in many of our 2014 Bikeshed personal top tens wears the very same combination perfectly.
    SBC Dubai 4
    Mundy paired the rear wheel with a tubular mono shock swing arm, the spring locates high beneath the tank, maintaining that super clear mid frame, another SBC calling card. Rear sets and clip ons complete the cafe stance while a digital gauge alerts the pilot to velocity and other such vital information. The decision was made to go for a solo saddle, a seat cowl was fabricated within which there is plenty of room to conceal the battery. Lance’s Tops obliged with the seat manufacture.
    SBC Dubai 5
    Befitting the definitive nature of the build Michael opted for a classic paint scheme of black and gold with white highlighting. Craig Paints Bikes applied the glossy scheme to the body work and Pro-Fab Powder Coat took care of the frame. The gold ties in with the forks and almost camouflages the brake fluid reservoir from the eye.
    SBC Dubai 6
    “Once we finished her up, they sent a shipping company to drive her to Miami where she boarded a boat bound for the Middle East.”
    No doubt on its arrival at the cafe the CB caused many a cup to pause midway on its journey to mouth as admirers beheld its splendour. As much as we are jealous of the beverage drinkers view, our main envy is reserved for whoever gets to take this black beauty out on the black top. A definitive Steel Bent Customs CB.
    via The Bike Shed

    Kytone Road Trip 2014


    BMW va commémorer à Daytona la première participation des 3.0 CSL

    #25 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE: Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner, Augusto Farfus, Bruno Spengler
      par Claude Foubert
    Le BMW Team RLL va commémorer le week-end prochain lors de la Rolex 24 à Daytona le 40ème anniversaire des débuts de la BMW 3.0 CSL, un des fleurons de la firme munichoise, sur ce même circuit de Daytona. Les deux BMW Z4 GTLM porteront les numéros de course 24 et 25 en souvenir ce cette première participation. En 1975, la BMW 3.0 CSL n°24 était pilotée par Sam Posey et Hans Joachim Stuck, la n°25 par Brian Redman et Ronnie Peterson (Brian Redman et la BMW CSL ci-dessous). Les deux BMW n’avaient pas vu l’arrivée, en raison de problèmes moteur.
    BMW_Redman
    Ludwig Willisch, Président de BMW of North America : BMW Motorsport avait présenté pour la première fois deux BMW 3.0 CSL en Amérique du Nord pour la saison 1975 de l’IMSA aux 24 Heures de Daytona. Ces voitures sont devenues légendaires et ont posé les fondations pour les succès que BMW a enregistrés au cours des quatre dernières décennies, alors que nous sommes désormais la marque des voitures de luxe numéro un. »
    #24 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE: John Edwards, Lucas Luhr, Jens Klingmann, Graham Rahal
    Bobby Rahal : « Les deux courses les plus dures du championnat sont les deux premières de la saison. Daytona étant une course de 24 Heures, elle peut certainement jouer un rôle majeur dans le championnat. Les chances d’être à l’arrivée sont probablement contre vous, aussi la première chose qu’on doit faire, c’est de s’assurer qu’on peut terminer. L’année dernière, alors qu’il ne restait que deux heures de course, on était plutôt bien, puis une des voitures a perdu un roulement de roue et l’autre a dû s’arrêter et remplacer le roulement par mesure de précaution, donc nous sommes passés d’une chance de victoire à une deuxième place à l’arrivée comme meilleur résultat. Cela paraît simpliste, mais celui qui passe le moins de temps possible dans les stands sera bien placé pour l’emporter. Nous devons avoir la même approche cette année Nous avons deux nouveaux châssis Z4 GTLM qui sont probablement un peu mieux que l’année dernière et, après avoir fait de bons essais, je pense que nous avons une bonne chance de bien faire ici. »
    Les deux nouveaux châssis ont été soumis à deux séances d’essais productifs avant la Rolex 24. Les équipages seront de grande qualité, avec sur la n°24 John Edwards et Lucas Luhr –qui seront les titulaires de la voiture durant toute la saison du TUSC-, ainsi que Graham Rahal et Jens Klingmann. Sur la Z4 n°25, Bill Auberlen et Dirk Werner –qui feront eux aussi l’intégralité de la saison du TUSC- seront épaulés par les pilotes BMW en DTM Augusto Farfus et Bruno Spengler.

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